The Add To Wantlist crew had the pleasure of seeing the likeable Rotterdam indie quartet Elephant play a festival show yesterday, the day their debut full-length Big Thing was released. We concluded that “Elegant” would have been a more appropriate band name, because Frank Schalkwijk (vocals, guitar), Michael Broekhuizen (vocals, guitar), Bas Vosselman (vocals, bass) and Kaj van Driel (drums) don’t do heavy stompers – no, this is all about graceful melodies. The LP contains ten summery, dreamy indie-folk songs with a warm, melancholic sound – let’s thank Pablo van de Poel (DeWolff) for his studio work – and strong vocal harmonies. The lyrics are relatable, but seem unadorned at first hearing – on a second listen though, you’ll hear that the instruments, especially the tantalizing lead guitar, tell a more extensive story, with exciting exaggerations and juicy details. It ensures that you can’t overlook Elephant and this pretty good (and elegant) album – a big thing indeed.
Big Thing is out now on CD and vinyl LP through Excelsior Recordings.
Add to wantlist: Excelsior
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